driveshaft Success with a SOA?

Done my reading but not been able to find exactly what I am looking for.... I have a 78 FJ40 which is nearing the completion of SOA conversion. Using Stock springs; (reversed and drilled) with a 1.5 inch frame extension with S/R. Also going with the F250 shock towers up front. Not cutting and turning the axle at this point. OK here’s the question.....

Those out there that have done this type of lift; have you had success with lengthend stock shafts or have you had to get new ones made...front rear? Thanks for the help!

SR usually = cut and turn on SOA and just run a cv with tons of spline travel and point it at the transfer case. Unless you flipped the springs along with your 1.5" frame extension I think you will find your ujoint angles pretty steep without a cut and turn unless you are not going to run much caster.

if you are doing the SR you better get a long travel slip-joint or you will be left standing there holding your twisted off driveshaft after it pulls apart and twirls around under the rig until it gets stuck and snaps something , in my case .twisted off the pinion ,bent leaf spring and snapped the shock mount off the axle housing . and all i did was cruise through the creek a little to fast .heading out of the bush . (see pic) in the pic i also had no cut and turn , since then have done the cut and turn .

I've had good luck having the stock drivelines resized. Others have too. Not sure what the cost of a long travel drivline is but resizing and balance of stock drivelines is about $80 each around here. I generally don't have the front balanced, that saves about $20 so the total for both is about $140.

Front:
I found out a buddy had a few spare 55 stock shafts. I cut down the 55 shaft, grafted on the CV, and had them use a tractor PTO shaft for the long slip.

Rear:
I used my old front shaft for the core for the rear, grafted the CV and retube to size. you dont need a long slip in the rear.

The front shaft is the key because you need a 55 or 60 shaft which is longer as a core. I used mini CV's, found them locally for $25 each

Total for both shafts and long slip was $317--not including the CV's. Not too bad considering fully custom made shafts with nothing to start with can range (from my exp) $750+. This was a big mental hurdle for for me until a friend recommened a good shop.

Mike,
What did your CV's come off of? They the toyota mini truck CV's that I have read about? The bolt straight up or did you have to modify them as well? Thanks for the pics....like the saysing goes...pic is worth a thousand words!

when I used my front shaft and 55 shaft, the flange pattern was the same. however, the mini pattern on the CVs were a different pattern. sooo, I ordered a round flange from kurt at cruiser outfitters that only came with one pattern for the front of the t-case and the cv. (I have a course spline outputs on my t-case) I think if you're fine spline, kurt has a flange that will bolt up to the mini CV IIRC. Anyway, since there is not a flange that is course spline and will have a mini pattern, you just take the flange and place it on your ds and rotate the flange like 45* then drill out ds flange to match the to match the t-case flange. Its really not that hard. I think I went to a 3/8 bolt which is a little larger than the org mini bolts. Then i did the same thing on the rear parking brake drum too. so basically, if you were to look at my drum and my front t-case flange, they have 8 holes, on set for the stock patten and one for the ones I drilled.

again, I cant drill a hole centered to save my life. but when you drill, the sholder of the ds flange mates to the indent in the flange or drum so you it sorta holds it self together. I just pushed this against my tool box and drilled thru the DS flange end then thru the drum and t-case flange.

dont quote me on the size of the bolt though. Im not 100% sure it was 3/8's. I did reuse my e-brake drum studs so measure those and use what ever the next std size drill bit up. your studs will work.